What are the explanations of El Niño?

This isn't much of an explanation. A more technical explanation, complete with nifty graphics, has been created by the people at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. Check that out, or look at the "For Further Reading" link for written material. read more

El Niño watchers shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to see how this year’s El Niño will shape up. The World Meteorological Organization, the U.N.’s weather agency, put the odds of El Nino at 60 percent between June and August, climbing to 75-80 percent between October and December, according to a June 26 update. read more

Along the Pacific coast of the Americas, El Niño can cause severe storms and flooding. Peru and Ecuador usually receive the brunt of the force of El Niño. During the months of April - October, this area experiences increased rain fall. El Niño's effects are not only felt through rain. read more

El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of what is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The ENSO cycle is a scientific term that describes the fluctuations in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date Line and 120 degrees West). read more